Golf: Saul of the Earth

Richard Dunn

Rich Saul was Mr. Dependability during his 12-year NFL career for

the Los Angeles Rams, and, since retiring, has carried on a similar

streak for charities.

“For however long I’m here, all I want to know is did I make a

difference in some peoples’ lives,” the former All-Pro center once said,

while he was battling colon cancer, which he has since defeated.

“The only thing that matters, when you get right down to it ... is how

many people did you really help out?”

Saul, who has been one of the few former Rams to remain in Southern

California since the team bolted for St. Louis in 1994, is gearing up for

a banner event.

The Orange County Chapter of Childhelp USA will host its 20th annual

Celebrity Golf Classic May 21 at Pelican Hill Golf Club, with Saul as

celebrity host.

Medhi Eftekari of the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach and theater

magnate Jim Edwards of Newport Beach are the co-honorary chairmen of the

event, which raised about $165,000 last year for Childhelp USA.

Saul, who never missed a game in his NFL playing career, will once

again provide the tournament field with star-studded former athletes,

mostly ex-Rams. Last year, Saul was joined by former teammates Reggie

Doss, Lawrence McCutcheon, Merlin Olsen, Vince Ferragamo and Dennis

Harrah.

Event chairs Debra Violette and Patti Edwards are expecting a full

field of golfers this year, while net proceeds should top the $100,000

mark, despite the recent economic climate.

The tournament, known for its unique silent and live auctions, will

once again feature many one-of-a-kind sports and travel items, while a

fabulous tee prizes await golfers at the registration table.

Golfers will also participate in a post-tournament cocktail reception,

dinner, auctions and awards ceremony with Saul, captain of the Rams’

Super Bowl team in the 1979 season.

Childhelp USA was founded in 1959 and is dedicated to the treatment,

prevention and research of child abuse and neglect. For more details on

the tournament: (949) 829-6922.

Cal’s Caddyshack in Costa Mesa will host the Masters Night April 10 at

the Newport Rib Company at 6:30 p.m.

In addition to dinner, a Masters pool, door prizes and raffle items, a

classic 16 millimeter Masters color movie will be shown. Space is limited

to the first 50 people. The cost is $45, which includes dinner and entry

into the pool and door prizes. Details: (949) 646-7714.

Steven Thomas has been hired as Director of Agronomy at Pelican Hill,

announced Western Golf Properties, which manages the golf course.

With all four women’s club championships about to begin, it’s time to

start thinking about Tea Cup Classic VI, which will be played this summer

at Santa Ana Country Club, pending approval from the club’s board.

The Tea Cup Classic was designed to feature the four women’s club

champions in this newspaper’s circulation, with the four clubs rotating

as host site.

Defending Tea Cup champion Debbie Albright of Newport Beach Country

Club snapped Marianne Towersey’s three-year Tea Cup winning streak a year

ago.

Albright, 44 this year, will attempt to win her seventh straight

Newport Beach club title May 17.

With age on her side and the fact her game is improving every year

(she’s been a 1 handicap), Albright appears to have a chance of breaking

the club record of nine straight titles, held by Dee Dee White from 1967

to ’75. Albright would have to win titles through 2005 to eclipse the

mark. (White is the club’s all-time leader with 17 championships.)

Albright, who won last year’s title by a career-high 19 strokes, is

expected to be pushed this year by Brenda Parrott, Sandi Coffer, Janice

Sauter and Nancy Curci.

Big Canyon Country Club will be the first to finish the women’s club

championship this year with the final round slated for April 18. Olivia

Slutzky is the defending champion.

Santa Ana’s final round is April 26, while Mesa Verde Country Club’s

final round is April 30.

New Mesa Verde member Akemi Khaiat, a 2 handicap, should challenge

six-time defending champion Denise Woodard.

Woodard, the proprietor of the busiest Mail Boxes Etc. in Orange

County, has been the only grandmother and full-time working woman in the

Tea Cup Classic the past five years.

When Woodard captured her sixth straight Mesa Verde title last year,

she won by 27 shots, believed to be the largest margin of victory in club

history for women.

Richard Dunn’s golf column appears every Thursday.